Battery, in particular a button battery, and method of manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a battery, in particular a button battery, including a case, provided with a container and a cap, and a polymer gasket, in particular made of polypropylene, compressed and bonded between the container and the cap. The method successively includes a step of implanting a silicatised layer by tribochemical sand blasting on all or part of the surface of the gasket, a step of adding a layer of adhesive to the surface of the gasket including the silicatised layer and/or on all or part of the surface of the container and of the surface of the cap intended to be joined to the gasket, a step of assembling the case with the gasket positioned by compression and bonding with the layer of adhesive between the container and the cap.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/543,662, filed Aug. 19, 2019, which claims priority to European Patent Application No. 18193252.6, filed Sep. 7, 2018. The benefit of priority is claimed to each of the foregoing, and the entire contents of each of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing batteries and, in particular, button batteries. It further relates to the battery obtained via the aforementioned manufacturing method.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

Button batteries generally include a case provided with a container and a cap respectively forming the positive and negative poles of the battery. Conventionally, button batteries are sealed with a polymer gasket positioned by compression between the container and the cap. This polymer gasket provides galvanic isolation between the poles and forms a barrier between the electrolyte contained in the battery and the external environment. However, this barrier is not entirely impervious. Under certain conditions, for example excessive humidity, moisture can enter the battery via the interface between the gasket and the case. This results in the premature ageing of the battery and thus in a reduced life of the battery.

Solutions exist for improving the gasket's adhesion to the case of the battery. One solution consists of coating the gasket with adhesive such that it bonds to the respective surfaces of the container and of the cap against which it is pressed. However, the adhesion between the gasket and the adhesive is often not sufficient to prevent fluid from circulating between the interior and exterior of the battery. Within the scope of the present invention, it was found that the primary issue is not the result of poor adherence of the adhesive to the metal forming the case, as a person skilled in the art could have a priori believed, but rather of poor adherence at the interface between the adhesive and the gasket. More specifically, certain polymers such as polypropylene which is widely used for the gaskets incorporated into batteries, have low surface energies which do not allow for the correct adhesion of the adhesive to the gasket.

In general, increasing the surface energy and thus the wettability of these polymers has been proposed, by way of a plasma or corona treatment. However, these treatments have certain drawbacks. The corona treatment has the drawback of being relatively short-lasting. More specifically, the treated surface loses the improved adhesion properties thereof over a time scale of about 24 hours. It is thus necessary to treat and bond the polymer immediately thereafter, without which the adhesion of the adhesive to the polymer will not be sufficient. Plasma treatment requires expensive equipment in a special atmosphere (vacuum, argon or oxygen). Moreover, when vented, the treated surface also loses a part of its features.

It is therefore observed that, thus far, despite research efforts, no entirely satisfactory solution has been able to overcome the problem of sealing batteries in a simple and inexpensive manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new method of manufacturing batteries allowing for improved sealing of the batteries and, more specifically, of button batteries including a bonded polymer gasket.

For this purpose, the manufacturing method according to the invention includes, before the step of adding the adhesive layer, a step consisting of implanting, by tribochemical sand blasting on at least one part of the surface of the gasket, a silicatised layer. This silicatisation treatment allows the surface energy of the gasket to be increased and thus the wettability of the adhesive to the gasket. This results in a better adhesion of the adhesive to the gasket, producing an end product with improved sealing of the battery. Compared to corona or plasma treatments, tribochemical sand blasting procures lasting enhanced wettability properties on the surface treated, with no significant change in wettability observed after one month of ageing. Moreover, tribochemical sand blasting has another advantage of being possible in air without the use of expensive equipment.

According to an advantageous alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, the manufacturing method further includes, between the steps of implanting the silicatised layer and of depositing the layer of adhesive, a step of depositing an adhesion promoter. The adhesion promoter comprises silanes which form a chemical bond with the silicatised layer, and other chemical functions selected depending on the adhesive in order to specifically react with the adhesive deposited. A lasting chemical bond is thus created between the assembly surfaces of the case and the adhesive arranged between these surfaces, producing a strong bond and seal for the battery.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear upon reading the following description given of preferred embodiments, provided as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a half-sectional view of a button battery with a case provided with a cap and a container sealed using a polymer gasket treated and bonded according to the manufacturing method of the invention.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates the different layers implanted or deposited by the method according to the invention on the surface of the polymer gasket.

FIG. 3 is a chart showing the surface energy of a polypropylene plate, respectively in the absence of any surface treatment (Ref.), after tribochemical sand blasting according to the invention followed (Silic, +Promo.) or not (Silic.) by a functionalisation treatment, and after conventional sand blasting followed (SB+Promo.) or not (SB) by a functionalisation treatment.

FIG. 4 is a chart showing the internal resistance of the batteries during discharge after ageing treatments of respectively 18 weeks at 40° C. under 90% residual humidity and 18 weeks with thermal cycles varying between −10 and +60° C. The results are presented for batteries comprising a gasket that has been silicatised and functionalised according to the invention (Silic.+Promo.) and batteries comprising a standard gasket (Ref.).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a battery. It more particularly relates to the steps implemented in order to procure an assembly that is sealed between the container and the cap of the case of the battery. The present invention further relates to the battery, and in particular to the button battery, produced by this manufacturing method.

The button battery 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a case 2 formed of a cap 3 and a container 4 respectively forming the negative and positive poles of the battery. Conventionally, the case 2 includes a polymer gasket 5 positioned by compression between the cap 3 and the container 4. This polymer gasket is preferentially made of polypropylene, but can also be made of polyethylene, polyethylene and polypropylene copolymers, or of other polyolefin-based thermoplastic resins. It is bonded to the cap 3 and to the container 4 with a layer of adhesive 6 extending, preferably, over the entire surface of the gasket 5.

According to the invention, during the manufacturing method, a part or, preferably, all of the surface of the gasket has been, prior to bonding, treated by tribochemical sand blasting and optionally functionalised in order improve the adhesion between the gasket and the layer of adhesive and, thus, the sealing of the battery case. According to the alternative embodiment in FIG. 1, the entire surface of the gasket 5 is subjected to the silicatisation treatment and is optionally functionalised. According to another alternative embodiment, treating only the faces of the gasket intended to be joined with the container and the cap in the bottom part of the case, i.e. where the case is closed, could also be considered. For other battery configurations, this closing area can be located in the top part of the case; in which case, it is this area in the top part of the case that is preferentially treated.

As shown in FIG. 2, the surface of the gasket 5 firstly undergoes tribochemical sand blasting, also referred to as silicatisation, which consists of blasting the surface with alumina particles coated in silicon dioxide, also referred to as silica. Typically, the average particle size of the particles lies in the range 10 μm to 100 μm, and preferably in the range 20 μm to 40 μm. Tribochemical sand blasting increases the surface roughness and allows a silicatised layer 7 to be deposited. This layer is present in the form of a dense layer comprising particles implanted in the gasket over a certain thickness on the surface thereof. The layer is seen to be relatively discontinuous and formed of individual particles solidly anchored to the surface of the treated gasket 5. The particles penetrate the surface of the gasket, typically over an average thickness of less than or substantially equal to 50 μm.

As shown hereafter by way of examples, the silicatisation treatment allows the surface energy of the polymer gasket to be significantly increased and thus the wettability of the adhesive on the gasket. This silicatisation treatment is carried out under pressure and time conditions that can be easily determined by a person skilled in the art as a function of the sand blasting equipment available thereto.

Optionally, after tribochemical sand blasting, an adhesion promoter 8, which can also be qualified as a chemical coupling and functionalisation agent, is deposited on the silicatised layer 7 anchored to the surface of the gasket 5. Advantageously, the adhesion promoter comprises silanes, the alkoxyl functions whereof are intended to form a chemical bond with the silicatised layer. It further comprises other organic functional groups such as, for example, acrylates, amines, epoxy, alkyl, acetoxy, aryl, glycol, mercapto, methacryl, vinyl, etc., intended to bond with the adhesive via one or more bonds chosen from strong bonds of the ionic or covalent type and from low interactions of the Van der Waals interactions type, hydrogen bonds, etc. The functionality must be selected such that it is adapted to the chosen adhesive. Thus, for example, an adhesion promoter comprising acrylate groups is privileged when the adhesive is an acrylate adhesive. However, an adhesion promoter comprising amine groups is privileged when the adhesive is an epoxy adhesive. The adhesion promoter and the adhesive are also chosen as a function of the chemical compatibility thereof with the materials used for the interior and for the exterior of the battery.

Finally, the layer of adhesive 6 is deposited on the surface of the previously treated gasket 5 and/or on the surface of the case intended to be joined to the gasket. Acrylate or epoxy adhesives have already been mentioned, however other adhesives can be used, in particular a polyurethane adhesive, to name but one. Preferentially, these are liquid adhesives allowing the gasket to be coated by soaking followed by drying.

Ultimately, the wettability of the adhesive on the surface treated by tribochemical sand blasting and potentially functionalised is improved. The adhesion between the gasket and the adhesive is thus improved. In the presence of an adhesion promoter, the anchoring of the silicatised layer in the gasket combined, on the one hand, with the chemical bonds between the silicatised layer and the adhesion promoter and, on the other hand, with the interactions between the adhesion promoter and the adhesive creates a strong and lasting bond between the adhesive and the gasket.

Moreover, it is specified that the present invention does not exclude the additional treatment of the surfaces of the case intended to be joined to the gasket. These surfaces can undergo a silicatisation and functionalisation treatment, or either a silicatisation or functionalisation treatment only.

The advantages of the method according to the invention will now be illustrated by way of the non-limiting examples described hereinbelow.

EXAMPLES

The effect of the silicatisation on the surface energy of a polypropylene gasket has been determined using contact angle measurements. The effect of the silicatisation and functionalisation on the degradation of the components of the battery has also been determined.

Effect of the Silicatisation on the Surface Energy of the Polymer (FIG. 3)

The surface energy calculations of a commercial polypropylene (PP) marketed by Sigma-Alrich were produced according to the Owens, Wendt, Rebel & Käble (OWRK) method on the basis of contact angle measurements with two liquids (water and diiodomethane) on the PP. Five samples were prepared:

A reference sample made of PP, denoted as Ref. in FIG. 3;

Two comparative examples with a sample made of PP having undergone standard sand blasting, denoted as SB, and one sample made of PP having undergone the same standard sand blasting followed by functionalisation with an adhesion promoter, denoted as SB+Promo.;

Two examples according to the invention with one sample made of PP having undergone silicatisation (sample denoted as Silic.) and with one sample made of PP having undergone silicatisation followed by functionalisation (sample denoted as Silic.+Promo.) with the same adhesion promoter as the comparative example.

Tribochemical sand blasting was carried out with a CoJet Prep™ microblaster using CoJet Sand™ by 3M™ ESPE™ having an average particle size of 30 μm under a pressure of 5 bar. Comparative tests with conventional sand blasting, i.e. sand blasting intended to create a surface roughness but without implantation of a silicatised layer, were carried out with sand having a similar average particle size of 36.5 μm (F280 sand). The adhesion promoter used for the tests includes silane and amine groups (Asusil by The Swatch Group R&D, Polymers division).

The results in FIG. 3 show that silicatisation alone or combined with the adhesion promoter significantly increases the surface energy with values multiplied by 3 compared to the reference sample. The results further show that the increase in surface roughness by standard sand blasting without implantation of a silicatised layer and without subsequent deposition of an adhesion promoter has no effect on the surface energy. It can be concluded therefrom that the silicatised layer implanted by tribochemical sand blasting allows the wettability of the polypropylene surface to be enhanced, resulting in the improved distribution of the adhesive on the gasket and ultimately an improved seal between the parts of the case assembled by bonding. Moreover, contact angle measurements carried out one month after the tribochemical sand blasting of the polypropylene surface have shown that tribochemical sand blasting provides a lasting enhancement of the wettability of the surface.

Effect of the Silicatisation and Functionalisation on the Ageing of the Batteries (FIG. 4)

Ageing tests were carried out on two batches of primary lithium batteries of the format CR 2450N assembled using a gasket made of PP. One batch contained a gasket having undergone, over the entire surface thereof, a silicatisation treatment followed by a treatment with an adhesion promoter on the gasket and on the case, the silicatisation conditions and the adhesion promoter being the same as those for the tests on surface energy. Another batch contained a standard gasket made of PP and not silicatised. For the two batches, the gasket was bonded to the steel case using a liquid epoxy adhesive. The batteries, between 6 and 13 per batch, were placed in climatic chambers for 18 weeks with a plurality of batteries from each batch per chamber. Tests were carried out in a chamber at a temperature of 40° C. with 90% residual humidity. Other tests were carried out in a chamber with thermal cycles varying between −10 and +60° C. at ambient humidity. The internal resistances which indicate the degradation of the components of the battery were measured during the discharge at the end of the ageing tests. The average of the measurements per batch is presented in FIG. 4. The results show that the silicatisation and functionalisation treatment (Silic. Promo.) of the gasket reduces the internal resistance of the batteries after ageing by about 25% compared to a battery comprising a standard gasket (Ref.). It can be deduced therefrom that the seal of the battery is improved thanks to this treatment, which allows the life thereof to be extended.

LEGEND OF THE FIGURES

-   (1) Button battery -   (2) Case -   (3) Cap -   (4) Container -   (5) Polymer gasket -   (6) Adhesive layer -   (7) Silicatised layer -   (8) Adhesion promoter layer -   Ref: Reference -   SB: Conventional sand blasting -   Si Silicatisation -   Promo.: Promoter 

1. A battery, comprising: a case provided with a container and a cap, a polymer gasket made of a polyolefin-based thermoplastic resin, the polymer gasket being compressed between the container and the cap and bonded the case with a layer of adhesive in order to seal the case and galvanically isolate the container from the cap; wherein the polymer gasket comprises a silicatised layer implanted on a or part of the surface thereof, the silicatised layer being located at least partially under the layer of adhesive, in order to improve the adhesion between the polymer gasket and the layer of adhesive.
 2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein a layer of an adhesion promote is inserted between the silicatised layer and the layer of adhesive in order to chemically bond the silicatised layer with the layer of adhesive.
 3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the silicatised layers formed by a layer of alumina particles coated in silica implanted on all or part of the surface of the polymer gasket over an average thickness of less than or substantially equal to 50 μm.
 4. The battery according to claim 3, wherein said silicatised layer is discontinuous.
 5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the polymer gasket is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or of polypropylene and polyethylene copolymers. 